Newly elected N. Idaho mayor to stay on as state senator

LEWISTON (AP) — A northern Idaho state senator who won the election to become mayor of Lewiston says he’ll do both jobs this year with help from his friends.

Republican Sen. Dan Johnson told The Lewiston Tribune in a story on Thursday that he’ll use substitutes to fill in for him at the Legislature while fulfilling his role as mayor.

“Every legislator designates three substitutes, so it’s very common for legislators to have assistants sit in for them,” Johnson said. “Every legislator does it, so I plan to use that to help me transition.”

Johnson is in his sixth term in the Senate and said he won’t seek reelection. He won Tuesday’s election for mayor with 52% of the vote.

Johnson’s salary as mayor is $80,000. He gets paid $20,000 as a senator. The part-time Legislature typically meets for about three months starting in January.

Lewiston voters also on Tuesday changed the structure of its city government, going from a city council-city manager form of government to a strong-mayor structure that the city hasn't had in decades.